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Download NowOctober is Domestic Violence Awareness Month (DVAM), an important time to highlight the issue of domestic violence and its effects on victims, survivors, families, and communities. Everyone deserves to live free of violence and find help when they need it. For many people, that help starts online.
We caught up with Shannon Geary, Chief Operations Officer at the South Carolina Victim Assistance Network, to share about SCVAN’s work as one of the oldest and most robust crime victim service organizations in South Carolina and the importance of having an accessible website.
What inspired you to consider assistive technology for your website? Were there specific challenges or goals you wanted to address?
At the South Carolina Victim Assistance Network, we serve a diverse community across the state. By using the Recite Me toolbar, we make sure our website is accessible to everyone, empowering individuals to engage with our content in the way that works best for them.
Why are accessibility and inclusion important to SCVAN? And how does Recite Me play a role?
Accessibility is essential to our mission at the South Carolina Victim Assistance Network. We serve a diverse community, and removing barriers ensures everyone can access the support they need.
Recite Me helps us achieve this by allowing visitors to customize how they view our website — whether that’s through screen reading, translation, text adjustments, or other assistive tools — so our resources are truly available to all.
Since introducing Recite Me to your website, what measurable or noticeable benefits have you observed?
Since introducing Recite Me, we’ve received feedback from staff and community partners who appreciate our efforts to make the website more accessible for everyone. While we haven’t collected measurable data, we have had users share how valuable it is to view content in alternative languages. We see this as a strong indication that we’re now reaching individuals who may not have been able to fully engage with our website before.
Has Recite Me impacted your brand image or reputation, particularly among customers or stakeholders who value inclusivity?
We are a well-respected and widely recognized victim service organization in South Carolina, dedicated to supporting victims of crime. To do this effectively, we must maintain a vast array of resources and information at our fingertips. Recite Me enhances our ability to reach even more individuals and communities by making these services more accessible.
Making your website accessible is particularly important for nonprofits and charities, whose services depend on reaching as many people as possible, both donors and those who need support.
